@Benny I’m so tired of hearing this. Insurgency is meant to give a realistic depiction of a middle-eastern conflict. It should look authentic. Not Arma levels, but still several clear steps ahead of games like Battlefield. That means realistic gunplay, more teamwork, real life camouflages, and most importantly, NO RICICULOUS LOOKING MUTTON CHOPS. I DON’T KNOW WHY PEOPLE FEEL A NEED TO DEFEND EVEN THE MOST STUPID ASPECTS OF THIS GAME.

Comon guys, all these beards and outfits just help people to identify friends. Nothing to do with reality or simulation or whatever.
We all want to be unique and this is a funny way to have a unique constellation of equipment and looks.

@Benny I’m so tired of hearing this. Insurgency is meant to give a realistic depiction of a middle-eastern conflict. It should look authentic. Not Arma levels, but still several clear steps ahead of games like Battlefield. That means realistic gunplay, more teamwork, real life camouflages, and most importantly, NO RICICULOUS LOOKING MUTTON CHOPS. I DON’T KNOW WHY PEOPLE FEEL A NEED TO DEFEND EVEN THE MOST STUPID ASPECTS OF THIS GAME.

First of all, I don't defend anything Captain Capslock. Secondly, those beards doesn't bother me at all.
The game needs improvments on different occasions which are way more important for the gameplay and long term motivation.
I don't understand why people are complaining about these little things.

@cyoce Have you ever considered the possibility of a game not being a milsim yet still having realistic elements and having more arcade game modes while still being much more hardcore than Battlefield? Because that is the whole point of the Insurgency franchise. Not having silly cosmetics like pink glasses and mutton chops is part of that authenticity. I don’t know why people like you defend that stuff, it’s not like they have any significance towards the gameplay (which you used as an excuse for silly cosmetics).

I’m also glad that you were able to pick up on a typo. Does it add anything to the conversation? No. Does it make me look bad? No. Does it make you look smart? No, in fact it makes you look dumb for trying to discredit me by pointing out a typo. But I still think you deserve a pat on the back for that one.

@cyoce Have you ever considered the possibility of a game not being a milsim yet still having realistic elements and having more arcade game modes while still being much more hardcore than Battlefield? Because that is the whole point of the Insurgency franchise. Not having silly cosmetics like pink glasses and mutton chops is part of that authenticity. I don’t know why people like you defend that stuff, it’s not like they have any significance towards the gameplay (which you used as an excuse for silly cosmetics).

I’m also glad that you were able to pick up on a typo. Does it add anything to the conversation? No. Does it make me look bad? No. Does it make you look smart? No, in fact it makes you look dumb for trying to discredit me by pointing out a typo. But I still think you deserve a pat on the back for that one.

You don't understand it. What @cyoce and I mean is that the gameplay itself is most important for a game. Nobody is defending anything. In fact I can agree on some point, that insurgence can look stupid whith certain items. But that's not a big deal.
Sandstorm wants to be realistic and authentic. That's cool. I totally support that. That's why I play this game. But saying that cosmetic items break the whole immersion of the game is just ridiculously exaggerated.
As I said, in the end, long term motivation for playing a game comes from the gameplay itself.
You can like or dislike e.g. CS for what it is, but you have to admit, that the game has been successful for almost 20 years. That's mostly because it gives players a balanced and fair gameplay which they can improve and put in hours of learning and improving.

I have worked with several people who look like those pictures. Is nobody living in an urban area here? Hipsters anyone? Tattoos? These beards and other stuff is actually not too unrealistic. In a organized military squad it is sometimes a dresscode, but in special forces it is also a certain degree of f--- the rules kind of mentality because those kind of people do whatever they like. Anyone seen the movie Zero Dark Thirty? It's been praised for being one of the most realistic movies depicting the takedown of Usama. Have you seen the beards on those guys? You don't like beards, fine, you mean it is unrealistic? Actually I think you have no idea, its not all shaved 19-year olds.

It is currently quite tight regulations, but the exceptions still exist=)

Quote: "Beyond issues surrounding discipline and standards, there are also legitimate concerns about beards getting in the way of gas masks designed to protect troops in chemical attacks. This is part of the reason most soldiers are not allowed to have beards.

But the overall policy is still determined on a case-by-case basis, it seems. Some special operations troops involved in the War on Terror, for example, have been allowed to grow beards to blend in with local populations (though this has had mixed results).

Since World War I and the advent of chemical warfare, which brought with it the need for gas masks, beards have largely been banned across the U.S. military."

EDIT: Realistically, it should be prohibited because of hygiene and beards getting in the way of gas mask. Gas mask + beard = gas in lungs.

@tooth-decay
I think you're reading too much into what I said. I was just criticizing that you deemed cosmetics (or lack thereof) more important than actual gameplay mechanics, although I don't see the harm in letting people have a little fun customizing their characters.

As for the typo comment, I was making fun of your excessive use of all caps; you just happened to give me a typo to work into the comment as well.